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Jul. 18, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

THINK TANK: Report: Anti-gang tactics not working

Recommendations include youth counseling, jobs

By DAVID KIHARA
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Police crackdowns and stiff prison sentences for reputed street gang members haven't stopped gang activity in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Las Vegas, according to a Washington, D.C.-based think tank.

The Justice Police Institute released a report early today that it says debunks gang "myths," including that more police and prisons have helped reduce gang activity. The report goes on to say that gangs in some cities are responsible for very little crime and that whites make up a large proportion of gang members.

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"We found overall that the traditional approach to gangs has been an overwhelming failure either in terms of reducing gang crimes or even reducing the number of gangs," said Kevin Pranis, co-author of the study titled "Gang Wars: The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies." He is also a research analyst with the Justice Police Institute.

The Justice Policy Institute's Web site notes that it is a non-profit public policy group that wants to end "society's reliance on incarceration."

The report looked at gangs and police enforcement across the country. Among other things, it found that membership in gangs had decreased nationally from 850,000 in 1996 to 760,000 in 2004; that many gang members leave their gangs within a year and that non-Hispanic white youths account for about 40 percent of youth gangs.

It also stated that "heavy-handed" suppression tactics by police don't work and can actually make gangs stronger.

The report concentrated on Los Angles and Chicago as two cities that have failed to curb the gang problem with stepped-up law enforcement.

The report recommended that cities provide an array of youth counseling, community-based programs and jobs for young people.

The report cited Las Vegas several times. It stated, for example, that people identified as gang members accounted for 6 percent of violent crime charges filed and 5 percent of drug charges filed from 1989 to 1995.

The report, however, didn't include any more current numbers for Las Vegas.

There are now 7,793 known gang members in Southern Nevada and at least 1,681 gangs in Las Vegas, according to the Metropolitan Police Department.

Those gangs include the 18th Street gang, the Crips and Bloods and dozens of graffiti tagging crews as well as newer hybrid gangs such as Money Over Bitches that have members from all walks of life, police said.

Lt. Bob Sebby of the Las Vegas police's gang unit said the department recently started focusing on "intelligence-led policing" to arrest the big fish in the gang world.

"Obviously we can't arrest ourselves out of this problem. But we go after the most active and violent gang members to reduce gang activity in the valley," he said.

The police also work with community members such as church leaders, school officials and city officials to try to improve crime-ridden neighborhoods. They have held vigils after a shooting takes place.

Sebby said these tactics have been working. From Jan. 1, 2006 to mid-July 2006, there were 24 gang-related homicides. For the same period of this year the total is 13, a 46 percent decrease.

For the same time period, gang shootings are down 28 percent, 147 last year compared with 106 this year.

Gang-related assaults and stabbings are also down 37 percent, with 24 this year compared with 38 last year during the same time period, he said.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Mark D. wrote on November 11, 2007 06:55 AM: The best way to combat the influence of gangs is to ensure the strength of the family. Single parents and working parents need to be involved intimately with their children in order to prevent gangs from filling the void. Yes, when gang members commit crimes they need to be locked away, but we too need to ensure that there are fewer recruits in the future. No gang recruits = no new gang members = no/reduced gang crime. graig sterling wrote on July 19, 2007 07:55 AM: That imbecile whom wrote that bogus report HAD to make sure to point out that WHITES are the majority of gangs?!! Hoping to con society into spending more money on that street scum.The money never reaches those whom it is suppose to help anyway because all the "reverends" and "counselors" whom serve themselves way before any of that money does what it suppose to.Pranis is repeating that bull-crap witch claims the inefficiency of stringent and brutal law enforcement against these animals but preaches that these psychotic losers should be treated as if they where unruly frat boys from the suburbs!.Well just try this for size:how about the death penalty for any of these sub-human gang garbage that would be found committing a violent crime ranging from rapes,pimping,muggings,home invasion or murder.Than have another Punis type study how much "stronger" these losers would be afterwards!I would wager anything that there numbers would go down to a trickle if instead of the fed.pen. being a badge of honor to these A-HOLES a seat in the electric chair or the gas chamber was the ultimate destination! Graig Sterling Toronto,Canada packe wrote on July 18, 2007 10:40 AM: Hey R.J. maybe you should have done a little research. Its so easy a caveman could do it! Take the gangs and lock em away..We need more "heavy handed" police tactics to stop em!! Joe C wrote on July 18, 2007 10:40 AM: Anon, I to found this so-called study a not so creditable. Having attended race relations meetings and immigration forums in our area, both my wife and I, who is Mexican came to the conclusion the blame whitey movement is strong and very active; If it’s who buys hip-hop music to the laughable claim of more white gangs than minority. Although many gangs are now more diversified, the justicepolicy.org think tank is more like a decider than a thinker. I think I will listen to the National Geographic documentary on the size and crime abilities of the gang MS-13 and gangs like them. Also listen to law enforcement estimates. Great biased propaganda by them though. Isn’t it great some of our tax money goes to ACLU which is now just a political group, seemingly at times with a hate/blame whitey agenda. Truly we have problems with government but the ACLU is hardly an organization dedicated to helping all Americans. Nor they’re byproducts justicepolicy and others groups created by them Joe C wrote on July 18, 2007 10:38 AM: Anon, I to found this so-called study a not so creditable. Having attended race relations meetings and immigration forums in our area, both my wife and I, who is Mexican came to the conclusion the blame whitey movement is strong and very active; If it’s who buys hip-hop music to the laughable claim of more white gangs than minority. Although many gangs are now more diversified, the justicepolicy.org think tank is more like a decider than a thinker. I think I will listen to the National Geographic documentary on the size and crime abilities of the gang MS-13 and gangs like them. Also listen to law enforcement estimates. Great biased propaganda by them though. Isn’t it great some of our tax money goes to ACLU which is now just a political group, seemingly at times with a hate/blame whitey agenda. Truly we have problems with government but the ACLU is hardly an organization dedicated to helping all Americans. Nor they’re byproducts justicepolicy and other groups created by them. ra wrote on July 18, 2007 10:26 AM: los angeles,chicago,las vegas are the 3 top cities for illegals anon wrote on July 18, 2007 03:50 AM: Wow, that is certainly a spectacularly lazy approach to journalism. The reporter didn't even get the name of the organization right when regurgitating this ideological advocacy group's press release as if it was a news item. From their home page: "The Justice Policy Institute...is dedicated to ending society's reliance on incarceration..." http://www.justicepolicy.org/ And what a surprise, this little pressure group produces a "report" that says jail is not good. What are the odds?!? It took two mouse clicks to discover that this "Institute" is comprised of a group of six ACLU lawyers sponsoring three "activists" and two secretaries issuing press releases.